[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/212101601″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]I remember vividly the exact moment I first heard Acamar- it was love at first audition. When Dixon dropped it at the Innervisions party at BPM Festival, I was immediately overtaken with a cascade of chills and goosebumps from the intoxicating altered Phrygian-scale melody of ascending and descending notes layered over an undulating arp, vaguely reminiscent of “Lost in a Moment.” “What IS this?!?” I wondered, along with numerous others who too had been seduced and enchanted by the mysterious and addictive tune. Over the next few months, cell phone videos of it being played at festivals would pop up here and there on social media, hoping for an ID. People were totally enamored with it, fiending for details or a chance to hear it again, and the scarcity of the track only served to further pique interest in it. But the buzz surrounding it was more than warranted- the track is absolutely incredible, and those who were lucky enough to have heard it were eager to relive the emotions they felt the first time hearing it.
The tracks are named after celestial bodies- Theta Eridani is a star in the constellation Eridanus with the traditional name “Acamar” from the Arabik Ākhir an-nahr which means “the end of the river.” Every element of the track is superbly designed. The intro to Acamar is gorgeous, with lovely gliding strings and a sort of oscillating, humming 2-note tone creating one of the most aurally pleasing intros. The enthralling serpentine melody is unleashed immediately after the intro’s breakdown, rapidly picking up momentum of intensity before releasing into an almost overwhelming blast with resumption of the beat. The lovely sounds from the intro resurface as the arp continues traveling towards the breakdown before unraveling beneath almost playfully melancholic notes, and again exploding into a spiraling crescendo of powerful, blissful energy. The bewitching track is completely mentally and physically engaging, an absolute dancefloor bomb.
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It would be hard-pressed not to be outshined in the shadow of Acamar’s brilliant glory, but the B-side is also just as much a testament to the digital craftsmanship of Frankey & Sandrino. “Lukida,” its namesake also of cosmic origin, is a less emotionally charged venture, with single notes in a simple up-and-down lead melody. Lovely and enchanting, bell-like tinkles introduce and dismiss the tune at its start and conclusion, and various subdued oscillating sounds add a subtle hint of spaciness to the myriad interesting underlaid textures, appropriate given Lukida’s galactic influence. A straight-forward arpeggiated note, occasionally diverging slightly in pitch, adds tension to the otherwise mellow mood before fading unobtrusively from attention. It’s a great complement to the radiant A-side.
The EP is absolutely stellar (space pun intended), and Acamar very well may be the defining track of 2015.
Release date: 29.06.2015
Buy Acamar / Lukida MP3s on Beatport
Linkage: Frankey & Sandrino Facebook // Sandrino & Frankey Soundcloud